Experimental study on tire fire penetration into a motorcoach passenger compartment

Two full‐scale fire experiments were conducted to determine the mode of penetration of a tire fire into the passenger compartment of a motorcoach. A special burner was designed to imitate the frictional heating of hub and wheel metal caused by failed axle bearings, locked brakes, or dragged blown tires. For the first experiment, heating to obtain tire ignition was initiated on the exterior of the passenger side tag axle wheel and for the second, on the exterior of the passenger side drive axle wheel. Measurements of interior and exterior temperatures, interior heat flux, and heat release rate were performed. Standard and infrared videos and still photographs were recorded. Both experiments showed that the tire fires ignited the plastic fender and glass‐reinforced plastic exterior side panel (below the windows) upon which the fires spread quickly and penetrated the passenger compartment by breaking the windows. Measurements showed that other potential fire penetration routes (flooring and lavatory) lagged far behind the windows in heating and degradation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cracking behavior of glazings with different thicknesses by radiant exposure

Fourteen experiments on cracking behavior of glazings with thicknesses of 3, 6, 8, and 10 mm by radiant exposure were carried out with a new experimental apparatus. The radiant power was controlled proportional to time square to simulate a time‐squared growth fire. An infrared thermal imaging camera was employed to monitor the temperature field of the unexposed glazing surface. Other important parameters including incident heat flux, local gas temperature, exposed surface temperature, and time of the first cracking were obtained. The relationship between the cracking behavior and glazing thickness was analyzed based on the experimental results. The results show that the protected edge temperature of glazing has a considerable rise when the first cracking occurred, which should be included in further modeling. It was also shown that thicker glazings have smaller surface temperature during the heating process and induce longer time to first crack. However, the critical temperature difference approximately remains constant for all glazings studied. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How the risk of failure in lifetime of tempered glass depends on the size of NiS inclusions and heat soak test duration

The probability of breakage in service lifetime of heat-tempered glass panes contaminated by nickel sulfide inclusions is estimated with a multiscale micromechanically motivated statistical theory, which considers the effects of the heat soak test (HST). Short and long HSTs differently affect the phase transformation of NiS of diverse chemical composition, whose increase in volume can break the glass. The main hypothesis, corroborated by experiments, is that there is a lower limit for the size of NiS stones below which no crack can be initiated from the volumetric expansion. The catastrophic propagation of nucleated fractures in the long term is modeled through a rescaled critical stress intensity factor, which accounts for the subcritical crack propagation and the slow phase transformation of NiS. A parametric analysis evidences how the failure probability is strongly affected by these parameters, depending on the holding time in the HST. Tailored experimental activity is suggested for the proper calibration of the model.     

Apron design for protecting double‐skin façade fires

Although double‐skin façade (DSF) is an environmental‐friendly architectural feature, its fire behaviour is a deep concern. The interior glass system including the glass pane, metal frame and associated accessories will be hotter than the exterior glass system as demonstrated by earlier studies. The glass pane above the fire room will be broken to spread flame into the upper compartment. Aprons are proposed to protect the air cavity of DSF in a way similar to those outside a single‐skin façade. In this paper, the effect of aprons in protecting against fire spread from an underlying compartment to the compartments above by preventing glass breakage of the inner glass pane was studied. Fire and smoke from a post‐flashover room fire adjacent to the DSF would be trapped in the air cavity between the two glass panes. Spreading of hot gases with different apron widths was studied by numerical simulations with CFD first. Fire environment with and without breaking the apron immediately above the fire room was studied. Full‐scale burning tests on part of an experimental DSF rig were then carried out to demonstrate the performance of horizontal apron in the DSF rig of 6 m tall and air cavity depth of 2 m with different apron widths. All demonstrated that providing apron is appropriate in protecting DSF fires. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of tenability during a full‐scale motorcoach tire fire

Full‐scale fire experiments were conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate tire fire interactions with the passenger compartment of a motorcoach. A single full‐scale experiment with a partially furnished interior was conducted to investigate tire fire growth within the passenger compartment and the onset of untenable conditions. A tire fire was initiated using a burner designed to imitate the frictional heating of hub and wheel metal caused by failed axle bearings, locked brakes, or dragged blown tires. Measurements of interior and exterior temperatures, interior heat flux, heat release rate, toxic gases, and visibility were performed. Standard and infrared videos and still photographs were also recorded. The results of this single experiment showed that after fire penetration into the passenger compartment, the tenability limits were reached within 8 minutes near the fire and within 11 minutes throughout the passenger compartment.     

Numerical simulation and experimental study on crack self-healing in BK7 glass

Crack self-healing is the result of a combination of multiple effects and involves many factors, such as mechanics, thermodynamics, physics, and chemistry. In this paper, a finite element simulation model and a modified crack-length-prediction model for crack self-healing in BK7 glass were proposed and verified experimentally. The simulation results showed a stress concentration at the tip of the crack at the initial stage of the crack self-healing process. The crack length decreased gradually, and the stress concentration area moved to the surface. The stress concentration area almost disappeared when the crack was healed completely. When the relative humidity was 64% and the compression was 5 MPa, under variable-temperature heating, the required time for a 19.8 µm pre-crack complete healing was 7.5 h. As the temperature increased, the required time for complete healing decreased, the contact state between the crack boundaries was improved, and thus the cracks were connected and healed.     

The influence of heat treatment on the properties of shape memory fibers. II. Tensile properties,dimensional stability,recovery force relaxation,and thermomechanical cyclic properties

Shape memory fibers (SMFs) were prepared via a melt spinning process. The fibers were subject to different heat treatments to eliminate internal stress and structure deficiency caused during the melt spinning process. The influences of heat treatments on the SMF thermal properties, molecular orientation, tensile properties, dimensional stability, recovery force relaxation, and thermomechanical cyclic properties were studied. It was found that the heat treatments increased soft segment crystallinity and phase separation while decreased molecular orientation. The low‐temperature heat treatment increased the breaking elongation, shape fixity ratios, and decreased boiling water shrinkage while shape recovery ratios were decreased. High‐temperature treatment increased both the shape recovery ratios, fixity ratios, recovery stress stability and at the same time decreasing the fiber mechanical strength. The results from differential scanning calorimetry, molecular orientation apparatus, and cyclic tensile testing were used to illustrate the mechanism governing the mechanical properties and shape memory effect. To obtain comprehensive outstanding properties, the SMF is expected to be treated at a high temperature because of the hard segment high glass transition temperature. Unfortunately, the heat treatment could not be conducted at a too high temperature because the SMF became too tacky and soft due to the melting of the soft segment phase. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

The effect of fire‐retardant additives and a surface insulative fabric on fire performance and mechanical property retention of polyester composites

This study investigates the simultaneous use of conventional fire‐retardant additives and an insulative intumescent thermal barrier/mat to improve the fire performance and mechanical property retention of glass‐fibre‐reinforced polyester (GRP) composites. Significant reductions in the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) were observed from measured cone calorimetric data following the addition of nitrogen, phosphorous, halogen containing and hydroxylated fire‐retardant additives. Some fire‐retarded glass‐fibre‐reinforced composites further protected by an intumescent mat containing silicate fibres, expandable graphite and borosilicate glass bound together by an organic matrix show further reductions in PHRR. Despite improving the fire retardancy of the composites, the presence of fire‐retardant additives alone does not improve flexural modulus retention following exposure to a heat source. However, the introduction of a ‘passive’ fire proofing insulative fabric enhances fire performance while preserving the mechanical properties of composites exposed to high heat fluxes or fires. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ion‐Exchanged Lithium Aluminosilicate Glass: Strength and Dynamic Fatigue

Sodium for lithium and potassium for lithium ion‐exchanges of a lithium aluminosilicate glass were conducted and the resulting strength and dynamic fatigue characteristics were studied. Four‐point bend mechanical tests revealed that greater strengthening can be achieved by the potassium for lithium ion‐exchange, compared to the sodium for lithium ion‐exchange, and that the dynamic fatigue tendency is strongly suppressed by both exchanges. This suppression of dynamic fatigue characteristics of ion‐exchange strengthened glass was explained by the ability of the surface compressive layer to delay the onset of slow crack growth. Bulk stresses continue to increase in magnitude while the crack is arrested in the surface compressive stress region. Upon offsetting the surface compressive stress, the crack rapidly propagates into a high‐magnitude tensile stress field until the fracture toughness is reached, resulting in minimal crack growth prior to material failure. A slow crack growth model utilizing a fracture mechanics weight function was developed to simulate the experiments. Dynamic fatigue characteristics of the as‐received glass, without ion‐exchange treatment, were also measured and simulated for comparison.     

A simplified model for predicting the ignition of FRP composites with validation using intermediate‐scale fire experiment data

This study presents a simplified theoretical model to predict the ignition of FRP composites of general thermal thickness (GTT) subjected to one‐sided heating. A simplified GTT heat transfer model to predict the surface temperature of GTT composite panels was developed, and the exposed surface temperature was used as ignition criterion. To validate the GTT model, intermediate scale calorimeter fire tests of E‐glass fiber reinforced polyester composite panels at three heat flux levels were performed to obtain intermediate‐scale fire testing data in a controlled condition with well‐defined thermal boundary conditions. The GTT model was also verified by using results from finite element modeling predictions. This model can be used to estimate the surface temperature increase, time‐to‐ignition, and mass loss of FRP composites for fire safety design and analysis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New insights into nanoindentation crack initiation in ion‐exchanged sodium aluminosilicate glass

The effect of ion‐exchange on the fracture behavior and the threshold load is investigated for radial crack initiation resulting from cube‐corner indentation. Both tin and air sides of the sodium aluminosilicate float glass are considered. The threshold load and mechanical properties are experimentally measured by nanoindentation. A qualitative explanation of crack initiation is developed by analyzing the stresses at the indentation site. The ion‐exchanged glasses show a lower threshold load for radial crack initiation with a cube‐corner indenter than the raw glass, and this is due to a higher crack driving stress for ion‐exchanged glasses. However, the compressive stress on the surface of the ion‐exchanged glasses can inhibit the expanding of the radial cracks. The air side always shows higher values for the threshold load than the tin side before and after ion‐exchange, which is in accordance with the calculated crack driving stress results.     

弯钢化玻璃炸裂因素的探讨

为了提高钢化玻璃的成品率,对炸裂这一影响弯钢化玻璃成品率的主要因素进行了探讨,指出玻璃结构、结石、钢化工艺(加热、压弯、冷却)等是影响弯钢化玻璃成品率的主要因素.     

PE100管及其热熔接头的蠕变裂纹扩展行为

聚乙烯(PE)管性能优异,广泛应用于城市水及燃气供应系统。PE管的主要破坏形式是长期静压载荷下的慢速裂纹扩展失效。在蠕变条件下,采用光滑试样和裂纹圆棒试样对PE100管及其热熔接头进行了测试,得到了基于蠕变断裂参数C*的蠕变裂纹扩展动力学关系式。利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析了裂纹圆棒试样的断面形貌,对比分析结果发现,蠕变裂纹扩展失效模式对应的最大应力为15.05 MPa,热熔接头熔合面分布有约11个/mm^2、直径范围为1~5μm的微气孔,热熔接头断裂微纤平均长度比母材约小20%~45%。当热熔对接时,熔合面存在的微气孔以及系带分子的浅渗透是导致PE100热熔接头蠕变裂纹扩展抗力降低的主要原因。     

封堵高温裂隙的水泥基泡沫流体耐热性研究

煤岩体受热破坏形成的高温煤岩裂隙是煤田火区演化和蔓延的主要成因.水泥基泡沫流体作为一种新型的高温煤裂隙防控材料,其泡沫流体的耐热特性是其重要的技术参数.基于自制泡沫流体隔热性能测试系统,测试了不同支架高度(2 cm、7 cm、12 cm、17 cm、22 cm)和不同喷注厚度(20 mm、40 mm、60 mm、80 mm)情况下水泥基泡沫流体的隔热特性,得出随着测试时间的增加,20~80 mm各个喷注厚度的新鲜泡沫流体冷面温度都增加,在测试时间为0~90 s以内,温升曲线斜率较大;隔热温度空间分布整体在一个曲面上,进而拟合得到了隔热温度、喷注厚度、热面温度三者之间的关系式.受热情况下泡孔液膜微观形态变化表征显示泡沫流体在200 ℃出现失稳定,并从表面张力、液膜基质粘度、自由水含量三个方面分析了受热对液膜排液速度的影响.     

Modeling Slow Crack Growth Behavior of Glass Strengthened by a Subcritical Tensile Stress Using Surface Stress Relaxation

Glasses exhibit slow crack growth under stress intensities below the fracture toughness in the presence of water vapor or liquid water. It has been observed by several authors that when an oxide glass with a large crack is held under a subcritical stress intensity (where no slow crack growth occurs) in room‐temperature water vapor or liquid water, upon reloading to a higher stress intensity, a finite restart time is observed prior to measurable crack extension. This phenomenon of apparent strengthening, or crack arrest, has been attributed to concepts such as corrosive dissolution of the crack tip, crack tip blunting, or water diffusion, and subsequent swelling of the material around the crack tip. Recently, a newly observed surface stress relaxation process that is aided by molecular water diffusion was used to improve the mechanical strength of glass fibers and to explain the subsurface compressive stress peak observed in ion‐exchange strengthened glasses. The same process is employed here to explain these delayed slow crack growth data. A simple mathematical model has been developed utilizing water‐assisted surface stress relaxation and fracture mechanics. Predictions of restart times using the model agreed well with published experimental data, indicating that surface stress relaxation is responsible for the anomalous delayed slow crack growth behavior.     

Modeling of heat transfer in rotational molding

Rotational molding is a process for manufacturing hollow or open‐sided plastic products using a rotating mold subjected to heating and then cooling. The process is attractive for the production of stress‐free objects at a competitive cost. In this article, a modified model for heat transfer in rotational molding is proposed, which assumes that the heat transfer at the mold‐powder interface is because of convection, whereas the powder particles are heated up by conduction. Heat transfer through the mold–air contact is also included. A source‐based formulation is used for modeling the layer‐by‐layer nonisothermal deposition of plastic. The reduced heat transfer due to warpage is calculated by using a modified heat transfer coefficient. Good overall agreement is found between the cycle times as predicted by the model and the experimental data. The model is then used for calculating the cycle time for particulate composites, based on their effective properties. A reduction in the cycle time is observed in the case of reinforced composites. This is attributed to the increase in thermal conductivity of the particulate composites and the reduced mass fraction of the polymer. Numerical calculations of the cycle time for the glass‐bead reinforced composites are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Full‐scale experimental study on crack and fallout of toughened glass with different thicknesses

The objective of this work is to analyze the crack and fallout of toughened glass with thicknesses of 6 and 10 mm in enclosure fires. A series of full‐scale experiments are conducted in the ISO 9705 fire test room using pool fires with different pan sizes, which are located at the center of the combustion room. The temperature differences between the exposed regions at the fire side and the shaded regions at the ambient side for typical edge positions are measured and compared. The results of both 6‐ and 10‐mm‐thick toughened glass suggest that the whole piece of toughened glass cracks and falls out completely when any region of the pane breaks. Relatively large window vents may come into being if the toughened glass breaks. The experimental results also preliminarily show that the critical breakage temperature difference for the 6‐mm‐thick toughened glass is about 330–380°C, whereas the corresponding values for 10‐mm‐thick toughened glass are approximately 470–590°C. It is suggested that the critical breakage temperature difference is larger for thicker toughened glass. The experimental phenomena for both 6‐ and 10‐mm‐thick toughened glass indicate that horizontally partitioning windows into several small panes with frames may be helpful and important to prevent the whole large and tall toughened glass from falling out completely in enclosure fires. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Origin of the Static Fatigue Limit in Oxide Glasses

Oxide glasses exhibit slow crack growth under stress intensities below the fracture toughness in the presence of water vapor or liquid water. The log of crack velocity decreases linearly with decreasing stress intensity factor in Region I. For some glasses, at a lower stress intensity, K_o, log v asymptotically diminishes where there is no measurable crack growth. The same glasses exhibit static fatigue, or a decreasing strength for increasing static loading times, as cracks grow and stress intensity eventually reaches the fracture toughness. In this case, some glasses exhibit a low stress below which no fatigue/failure is observed. The absence of slow crack growth under a low stress intensity factor is called the fatigue limit. Currently, no satisfactory explanation exists for the origin of the fatigue limit. We show that the surface stress relaxation mechanism, which is promoted by molecular water diffusion near the glass surface, may be the origin of the fatigue limit. First, we hypothesize that the slowing down of slow crack growth takes place due to surface stress relaxation during slow crack growth near the static fatigue limit. The applied stress intensity becomes diminished by a shielding stress intensity due to relaxation of crack tip stresses, thus resulting in a reduced crack velocity. This diminishing stress intensity factor should result in a crack growth rate near the static fatigue limit that decreases in time. By performing Double Cantilever Beam crack growth measurements of a soda‐lime silicate glass, a decreasing crack growth rate was measured. These experimental observations indicate that surface stress relaxation is causing crack velocities to asymptotically become immeasurably small at the static fatigue limit. Since the surface stress relaxation was shown to take place for various oxide glasses, the mechanism for fatigue limit explained here should be applicable to various oxide glasses.     

蒸汽发生器筒体焊缝裂纹修复及原因分析

介绍合成氨装置蒸汽发生器筒体焊缝产生裂纹的情况,制定修复方案,介绍修复过程,焊缝晶间破断、热处理效果差、应力集中是产生缺陷的主要原因。     

Measurement of thermophysical properties of fire‐resistive and reactive materials. Urgent problems and solutions

The ASTM Standard Test Method E2584 ‘Standard Practice for Thermal Conductivity of Materials Using a Thermal Capacitance (Slug) Calorimeter’ was developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology to measure thermal conductivity of fire‐resistive and reactive materials during monotonic heating and cooling. The heating regime adopted in ASTM E2584 is very reasonable because change of materials' composition and structure during a fire can depend on kinetic factors and thermal story of the materials. The main problem in experimental measurements of thermophysical properties is the impossibility of using standard steady‐state methods during time‐dependent processes in materials accompanied by latent heat effect. Using standard transient methods, such as hot wire or laser flash methods, is also incorrect, because the transient measurement heat process can be started only after steady‐state temperature field is established in the sample, that is, at the time when the involved physical or chemical processes could be finished. The objectives of this paper are to review and to analyze scientific problems to be taken into account in the revised version of ASTM E2584 Standard. Examples of experimental results are presented for measurement of thermophysical properties during chemical and physical processes in solid materials, powders, metals, and ceramic materials; building materials during fire; and so on. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.